Bushra Griffith
Raclette is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese from Switzerland. It is made from pasteurized, thermized, or raw milk with a fat content of 3-3.5%. The cheese is formed into wheels, soaked in a salt brine, and then smeared with a mixture of yeast and bacteria. The cheese is then placed in a cellar to age for three to six months. During this time, it is regularly washed and turned. Raclette is known for its exceptional melting properties and is often served melted and scraped over potatoes, bread, or meat.
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What You'll Learn
Raclette cheese is made from cow's milk
Raclette cheese is a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk. It is native to the Swiss Alps but is also produced on the French side of the Alps, as well as in the US. Raclette is made from raw, unpasteurized evening milk that is collected and left to sit overnight to allow the cream to rise and bacteria to develop. The next morning, the evening milk is mixed with fresh warm milk and heated to 90°F. Culture is then added to the milk to achieve the right acidity and coagulation. Rennet is also added to the milk, which is then stirred gently for around 27 minutes until it begins to thicken. Once the milk has thickened, it is cut into small squares and left to rest for around five minutes. The curds are then cooked by slowly heating to 100°F over 25-30 minutes to achieve a drier curd, or water is added to create a moister and slightly sweeter curd. The final curds are then cooked and examined to make sure that enough moisture has been removed. The curds are then placed in circular moulds and pressed repeatedly to remove excess liquid and lactose until the desired consistency is reached. The cheese is then submerged in a brine bath to draw out moisture and begin forming a rind. The cheese is then aged for three to six months, during which it is washed and turned at regular intervals. After three months of maturation, lactose is fully decomposed. Raclette cheese is known for its exceptional melting properties and is often melted and served over potatoes, bread, or meat.
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It's a semi-hard cheese
Raclette is a semi-hard cheese, native to the Swiss Alps, but also produced on the French side of the Alps, as well as in the U.S. It is made from cow's milk and has a mildly flavoured, firm, smooth, and creamy texture. It is ivory-pale yellow in colour with small irregular holes and an edible orange-brown rind. The flavour of raclette varies slightly depending on the region in which it is produced, but it generally has a floral aroma and is nutty, fruity, spicy, and milky in flavour. It is a gluten-free cheese.
Raclette is produced from raw, pasteurised, or thermized milk with a fat content of 3-3.5%. The milk is collected and left overnight to allow the cream to rise and bacteria to develop. The next morning, full-fat fresh warm milk is mixed with the evening's milk and heated to 90°F. Culture is then added to the milk, and the mixture is warmed to a specific temperature while being mixed with some rennet and other cultures to achieve the right acidity and coagulation. After a while, the milk thickens and forms curds, which are very soft compared to other cheeses. Once the curd is thickened enough, it is cut into 1" vertical slices and then again at right angles. After resting to allow the edges to firm up, a final cut is made using a ladle, spoon, or thin wire whisk to a size of a barley or small maize grain.
The curds are then heated to 100°F to dry them and remove lactose. This can be done in one of two ways, depending on the desired moisture level of the final cheese. The first method involves slowly heating the curds directly to 100°F over 25-30 minutes, resulting in drier curds. The second method, which produces moister and slightly sweeter curds, involves removing 25% of the whey and slowly adding 140°F clean water until the curds reach 100°F over 30 minutes while stirring. After heating, the curds are stirred slowly for 15 minutes to prevent clumping and ensure even cooking.
The curds are then placed in circular moulds and pressed for a predetermined time, then turned and pressed again. This cycle is repeated several times to remove excess liquid and lactose until the desired consistency is reached. The cheese is then submerged in a brine bath, which helps pull moisture from the surface and form a rind. The pressed wheels are then soaked in a salt brine and smeared with a mixture of yeast and coryneform bacteria. They are then placed in a cellar on red pine benches to ripen for three to six months. During this maturation period, the cheese is regularly washed and turned, and the lactose is fully decomposed. After ripening, the cheese is ready for retail and can be consumed as a semi-hard cheese or melted and served with various dishes.
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It's native to the Swiss Alps
Raclette is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese native to the Swiss Alps. It is also produced on the French side of the Alps and in the US. The cheese is made from pasteurised, thermised, or raw milk, with a fat content of 3-3.5%. It is aged for around three months, and its flavour is created using high-quality milk and special bacterial strains that create lactic acid. The cheese is formed into wheels, and the pressed wheels are soaked in a salt brine and smeared with a mixture of yeast and bacteria. The wheels are then placed in a cellar on red pine benches for ripening. During this process, the cheese is washed and turned at regular intervals.
Raclette is an Alpine cheese that is moister than longer-aged Alpine cheeses. It has exceptional melting properties due to its fat content, which does not separate and pool as grease. The root of its name, 'racler', means 'to scrape', and this is how the cheese is traditionally served. The cut face of the cheese is heated until it begins to melt, and then the melted cheese is scraped onto vegetables, meat, or bread.
Raclette is a popular dish in Switzerland and other Alpine countries such as France, Italy, Germany, and Austria. It is often served with boiled potatoes, cornichons (pickled cucumbers), pickled onions, and black tea or wine. Raclette has been consumed in the mountainous Alpine regions of Switzerland since as early as 1291.
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It's made with raw, pasteurised or thermised milk
Raclette is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese from Switzerland. It is made from raw, pasteurised or thermised milk, with a fat content of 3-3.5%. The cheese is formed into wheels, and the pressed wheels are soaked in a salt brine and smeared with a mixture of yeast and coryneform bacteria. The name 'raclette' or 'raclere' means 'to scrape', which is how the cheese is traditionally served. The cheese is heated until it begins to melt, and then it is scraped onto vegetables, meat or bread.
The process of making raclette cheese begins with collecting raw evening milk, which is left overnight to allow the cream to rise and bacteria to develop. The next morning, full-fat fresh warm milk is mixed with the evening milk and heated to 90F. If using pasteurised milk, a bit of 2% milk is blended with whole milk. Culture is then added to the milk. Rennet is added to the milk, which causes it to thicken and coagulate. The coagulated milk is called curd, and the liquid is called whey. The curd is very soft compared to other cheeses and must be handled carefully. Once the curd is firm enough, it is cut into vertical slices and then at right angles to create a grid pattern. The curd is then cut into smaller pieces, about the size of a coffee bean.
The curd is then heated to 100F to dry it and remove lactose. This can be done in a few ways, depending on the desired moisture level of the final cheese. The curd can be cooked directly over heat, which will result in a drier curd. Alternatively, 25% of the whey can be removed, and hot water can be slowly added to the curd until it reaches 100F. This method will produce a moister and slightly sweeter curd. The final curds are cooked until they are well done, and then they are examined to ensure that enough moisture has been removed.
The curd is then placed in circular moulds and pressed for a predetermined amount of time. This process is repeated several times to remove excess liquid and lactose until the desired consistency is reached. The cheese is then submerged in a brine bath, which helps to pull moisture from the surface and form a rind. The cheese is then aged for three to six months. During this time, it is washed and turned at regular intervals. Raclette cheese has a maturation period of approximately three months, after which the lactose is fully decomposed.
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It's matured for 3 months
Raclette is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese from Switzerland. It is made from raw, pasteurized, or thermized milk with a fat content of 3-3.5%. The raw milk is collected and left to rest overnight to allow the cream to rise and bacteria to develop. The next morning, the evening milk is mixed with fresh warm full-fat milk and heated to 90°F. Culture is then added to the milk. After about 27 minutes, the milk thickens and begins to coagulate. Once it is firm enough, the curd is cut and then placed in circular molds and pressed. This process is repeated several times to remove excess liquid and lactose until the desired consistency is reached. The cheese is then submerged in a brine bath to form a rind.
After the initial preparation, raclette cheese is matured for three months. During this time, the cheese is washed and turned at regular intervals. The maturation process takes place in a cellar, with the cheese placed on red pine benches. The wooden shelves help to create the moist rind. After three months of maturing, the lactose is fully decomposed. Raclette cheese can be consumed after this maturation period, but it can also be aged for longer. If the cheese is matured for nine months, it can be consumed as "aged, thinly sliced and curled up cheese" (traditional "Hobelkäse").
Raclette has excellent melting properties due to its fat content, which does not separate and pool as grease. This makes it ideal for dishes such as raclette dinners, cheese fondue, gratins, casseroles, grilled cheese sandwiches, and pasta and egg dishes. The cheese is traditionally melted and scraped over boiled potatoes, but it can also be served with bread, vegetables, meat, or cornichons (fermented, pickled cucumbers). Raclette has a firm, smooth, and creamy texture, an ivory-pale yellow color with small irregular holes, and an edible orange-brown rind. The flavor varies depending on the region but generally has a floral aroma and nutty, fruity, spicy, and milky notes.
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Frequently asked questions
Raclette cheese is made from cow's milk. The milk is collected and left overnight to allow the cream to rise. The milk is then mixed with cultures and rennet to achieve the right acidity and
The milk used to make Raclette cheese is preferably raw, unpasteurized milk with 3-3.5% fat content. Pasteurized milk can also be used.
The maturation period for Raclette cheese is approximately 3 months. During this time, the cheese is washed and turned at regular intervals.
Raclette is a semi-hard cheese with a firm, smooth, and creamy texture. It has small irregular holes and an edible orange-brown rind.
The flavor of Raclette cheese is mildly nutty, fruity, spicy, and milky. The flavor will vary depending on the region in which it is produced.
